DMRE details fresh electricity procurement delays in briefing of lawmakers

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) told lawmakers on Tuesday that the postponement of financial close on 25 wind and solar projects selected as preferred bids in October was the result of delays in the issuance of budget quotations from Eskom for connection to the grid. Bid window five (BW5) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) was scheduled to close at the end of April, but the decision to delay the signing of power purchase and implementation agreements was confirmed by the IPP Office on April 28.
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Eskom to implement Stage 2 load-shedding from 17:00 until 05:00 on May 9

Power utility Eskom has announced that it will implement Stage 2 load-shedding from 17:00 on May 3 to 05:00 on Monday, May 9. The utility attributed the load-shedding to a shortage of generation capacity owing to delays in returning generators to service, as well as breakdowns of nine generators.
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Cold boxes being precooled in preparation for gas

JSE-listed Renergen reported on May 3 that it was making “strong” progress in terms of the commissioning of Phase 1 of the Virginia gas project, which comprises exploration and production rights of 187 000 ha of gas fields across Welkom, Virginia and Theunissen, in the Free State. Cold boxes – which are self-supporting structures that protect cryogenic equipment such as heat exchangers, core-in-drums, distillation columns, piping, valves and instrumentation – are currently being purged and pre-cooled using liquid nitrogen, which is an important process in preparing the units for acceptance of gas from
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Rich nations scramble to seal coal transition deals before COP27

As they prepare for the next round of global climate talks in November, officials from rich countries are trying to pull together a series of multibillion-dollar packages to help poor countries phase out coal. But negotiations have been snarled by national politics and Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has made the dirtiest fossil fuel a lucrative commodity to mine and export, according to people familiar with the talks who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private.
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Wind energy association pushing sector industrialisation by advocating for more local manufacturing

Industry association the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) is pushing for sector industrialisation by advocating for increased local manufacturing and, through SAWEA Manufacturing and the Local Content Working Group, the industry has set unambiguous local manufacturing targets with a specified timeframe, the organisation says. “SAWEA reiterates that its approach to the industry’s growth is to persistently deliver new wind power generation to the grid responsibly and sustainably, which should be aligned to the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM), which falls under the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition- (DTIC-) led industrial strategy,” it adds.
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Police recover stolen copper in Devland, Johannesburg

The South African Police Services (SAPS) raided the premises of a scrap metal dealer in Devland, near Johannesburg, and found a large cache of stolen copper cables. Working on a tip-off, the police officers searched a property and discovered copper cables belonging to Transnet Freight Rail (TFR), the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa, Eskom and City Power.
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Eskom sets up project team to deal with Zondo report recommendations

Power utility Eskom has announced that it has established a project team, supported by its internal and external lawyers, to review the report issued by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture and to ensure appropriate actions are taken to address the recommendations made in the report. The Presidency on April 29 received the fourth part of the report, with two of the four volumes related to Eskom.
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Karpowership committed to South Africa even as setbacks mount

Karpowership, the world’s biggest supplier of floating gas-fired power plants, said it’s committed to delivering what would be its biggest ever project as South African activists mounted a fresh legal challenge against the company’s plans. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse said on Thursday it sued the National Energy Regulator of South Africa for granting generation permits to the Turkish company in September saying the country’s best interests weren’t taken into account regarding the cost of contracts and the impact on the climate.
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Presidency receives fourth part of Zondo Commission’s report into State capture

The Presidency on April 29 received the fourth part of the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture.   Secretary of the Commission Professor Itumeleng Mosala handed over the report to acting Director-General in The Presidency Thami Ngwenya at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.   Part four of the report is comprises four volumes, with the first dealing with the attempted capture of the National Treasury; EOH Holdings and the City of Johannesburg; and Alexkor. The second volume deals with the Free State asbestos project debacle and the Free State R1-billion housing project debacle.
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Polarium opens lithium-ion battery assembly plant in Cape Town

Swedish energy storage specialist Polarium has opened a lithium-ion battery assembly plant in Montague Park, Cape Town. The facility is the group’s third in the world, with a plant each in Mexico and Vietnam.
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